One of Those Nights
by Whurmy
Summary: "The front door slams shut and he steels himself. Another scream, another bang and he knows they'll be making making a call to his uncles to fix the wall." Mitchie/Alex, Demi/Selena, Demena one shot.


**Author's Note: This is the extended/alternative version of Unstoppable. I hope you guys like it. (: You should listen to World of Chances by Demi if you can. Not while you read this, just in general.**

He's just sixteen. He doesn't know how to handle these things. So he shuts his door and turns his music up, but not before he hears them arguing about which one of them upset him enough to make him close it. In his head he screams at them that it's **both** their faults. He wants to tell them to shut up, that he just wants them to go back to the way things were six months ago. But he doesn't. The music isn't enough, he's heard each song a thousand times already. Watching an over the top scary movie sounds perfect right now so he puts in one of the many copies of Texas Chainsaw Massacre that they have laying around the house.

He hears a scream seep through the walls and shakes it off as well as he can. They yell back and forth now, they're beyond their passive-aggressive comments and snide remarks.

"Fuck you, Selena." He flinches at the tone in his Demi's voice. It isn't an uncommon phrase in the house anymore, but he'll never really be use to hearing his mom curse. The front door slams shut and he steels himself. Another scream, another bang and he knows they'll be making making a call to his uncles to fix the wall.

He hates himself for doing it, but he turns his movie up just a little when he hears the worst part of it all. He knows why Selena is crying. They haven't announced anything yet and they deny it if they're asked, but he knows his parents will be splitting up. He knows it's impossible, but all he wants to do is rewind.

He asks his mom a week later.

"Why do you hate her, mom?" Selena just stares at him and he stares back. He's too tired to try and act like he's okay. It's getting worse and he's getting sick of it. He's sick of tip toeing his way to the kitchen because Demi's on the couch again and got about as much sleep as he did last night. He's sick of broken vases and holes in the wall. Selena takes a shaky breath and smiles that all too familiar sad smile at him.

"I don't hate her, Chris." He doesn't believe her. Not after he saw the bruise on Demi's cheekbone.

"_What happened to your face, mom?" She smiles at him and takes the melting ice pack away from her face._

"_Battle scars, kiddo." He doesn't smile back._

"_Mom did it?" Demi's smile falters for a split second, but she recovers quickly._

"_All's fair in love in war."_

"_Is this love or war?" His tone is harsh and the words slip out before he can catch them. He takes a deep breath and reminds himself that his isn't her fault, even the both of them say otherwise. Her smile stays and she shrugs._

"_Both."_

"You punched her." It's not a question, but he wishes it was. He can tell she does too. She wants to say no. Her eyes soften, but his don't.

"Chris..." He doesn't answer and even though she wants to, she doesn't try again.

They get home from dinner and he goes straight to his room. Demi jumps at the slamming of his door and looks up at Selena. Her eyes are puffy and red and Demi leaves the unsorted clothes on the coffee table.

"What happened?" Selena covers her mouth and shakes her head, but Demi won't give up. She doesn't hesitate to wrap her arms around Selena's waist and hold her tight. Selena's arms go around her neck and her stomach twists in the most uncomfortable way when she feels Selena's tears on her cheeks. Demi kisses her temple and whispers that it's okay. Whatever it is, it's okay. But Selena shakes her head and sobs harder.

"No, no because Chris thinks I hate you." She stutters and her words are said between gasps and hiccups, but Demi's been able to translate this language for over twenty years. She leads them to their old bedroom and pulls Selena under the covers with her. Her breath catches in her throat when Selena's arms goes over her stomach and she buries her face in the crook of Demi's neck. She's still crying and Demi lets her. She rubs her back and listens to the jumbled up words explaining what happened at dinner. "It's all my fault, Demi. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Demi sighs and kisses the top of her head.

"No, it's not. Stop apologizing." She ignores it every time Selena says she's sorry. She just shushes her and hums songs from her second album. Eventually Selena's sobbing turns to slow, shaky breaths and quiet hiccups. "You know, I never thought I'd be singing World of Chances about myself." Demi mumbles into her hair. Selena chuckles under her breath. It's quiet and her voice is a little off, but it makes Demi smile. "I'm sorry, Sel."

"I'm sorry, too."

Selena's falling asleep, drawing circles and hearts on her stomach, and Demi's doing the same to her back. Selena's breath finally evens out, hitting Demi's neck in little puffs and she smiles. She feels like they're sixteen again, falling asleep after staying up until dawn watching movies and throwing popcorn at each other. It's not the counseling they both know they'll need, and it's not the conversation they need to have with Chris. But it's a step in the right direction, and that's more than enough.


End file.
